Mr. James William "Bill" Bartlett Jr.

James William "Bill" Bartlett, Jr., age 88, of Columbus died Wednesday, May 02, 2012, at Magnolia Manor of Columbus. Funeral services will be held 2:00 P.M. Friday, May 4, 2012, at Striffler-Hamby Mortuary's Macon Road Chapel with a visitation to follow. A private burial will be held in Parkhill Cemetery. Reverend Bart Scarborough and Dr. James C. Elder, Jr. will officiate.

Mr. Bartlett was born May 13, 1923 in Columbus, Georgia into a fourth generation family from Muscogee County, the son of James William and Sandal Allen Bartlett. He attended Wynnton Elementary School and graduated from Columbus High School in 1941. That year he was the 1941 Georgia Junior Duck Pin Champion. He was employed by Standard Oil prior to volunteering for U. S. Air Force training in 1942. He graduated from Luke Field in Arizona s a Second Lieutenant Pilot. During World War II he spent 20 months in China flying 35 missions as a P38 Fighter Pilot. He was on a mission escorting bombers when he was shot down over Sichuan Provence. He was missing for a week before being escorted out of the country. He was awarded an Air Medal for his service. After his military service he joined the family business, Columbus Fixture Manufacturing Company, for seventeen years and became part owner where he designed fixtures for banks, department stores and show rooms throughout the Southeast. He spent the next twenty five years in truck sales where he became a Certified Transportation Counselor.

Mr. Bartlett was a member of First Baptist Church where he worked with the Food Closet, the Prayer Committee and Young at Heart. He spent many years at Eastern Heights Baptist Church serving as an ordained Deacon, Director of the Junior Department and RA Leader. He was a member of both the Lions Club and the Friday Friars.

Mr. Bartlett is survived by his wife of 68 years, Opal Day Bartlett; one daughter, Sandy B. Scarborough (Otis); a son, James William "Bo" Bartlett, III (Betsy Eby); five grandsons, John Bartlett Scarborough (Victoria), Dr. Grant Scarborough (Anne), Will Bartlett (Matilda), Emmanuel Bartlett and Eliot Bartlett. He was blessed with six great granddaughters, Jane, Anita, Jessie, Mary Piper, Charlotte Scarborough and Henley Parrish; and one great grandson, Franklin Parrish. He was preceded in death by a sister, Martha B. Berry, and a son, Charles Thomas Bartlett.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Bo Bartlett Art Center at CSU, MercyMed of Columbus, Young Life of Athens or a favorite charity .

Condolences may be expressed at www.shcolumbus.com.